Part-Time Peer Specialist

The Empowerment Program•Denver, CO

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Part-Time Residential Peer Specialist works at Mariposa House, a confidentially located congregate living facility in Denver serving 18–22 women. The Empowerment Program provides health, housing, employment, and education services to women and transwomen affected by criminal justice involvement, recent incarceration, homelessness, HIV/AIDS, mental illness, or substance addiction. The role primarily supports WAGEES participants, participants served by the WHP team, and general services participants. Using personal lived experience with recovery, justice involvement, or mental health stabilization, the Peer Specialist supports participants living in transition, models self-directed recovery, helps maintain a secure and therapeutic environment, facilitates peer-support activities, and completes Medicaid-compliant clinical documentation. This is a part-time, non-exempt role scheduled Sunday–Wednesday or Thursday–Saturday, 5:00 PM–11:30 PM, with occasional coverage shifts available as needed. The position reports to the WAGEES Program Manager.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED equivalent.
Personal lived experience with substance recovery, mental health management, or criminal justice system involvement, and a strong commitment to supporting women and transwomen in transition.
Knowledge of the recovery process, mental health symptom management, and standardized problem-solving strategies.
Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office products and comfort learning EHR systems for DAP Medicaid documentation.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, multitasking capabilities, and a positive, collaborative team-player attitude.
Valid driver’s license.
Ability to pass required background checks for residential and community corrections/transitional environments.
Candidates without a peer certificate must obtain a State of Colorado Peer Specialist Certification, including passing the state exam, within the first six months of employment.

Nice To Haves

State of Colorado Peer Specialist Certification upon hire.

Responsibilities

Enforce house rules and expectations described in the participant handbook.
Monitor curfew and communicate deviations to care managers when participants return late or do not return to the house at night.
Conduct house walkthroughs and at least one room check per shift to support participant wellbeing and environmental safety.
Monitor, verify, and assist with residents’ daily chores, and complete assigned staff chores such as house laundry and stocking.
Promptly notify the Program Manager of maintenance, safety, or security concerns; email significant events to the housing team; and maintain daily shift logs.
Facilitate at least one peer-support, skill-building, or self-help mutual-support group per month, encouraging participant input and helping participants establish, sustain, and join self-help groups.
Use one-on-one sessions to help participants articulate recovery goals and create recovery plans incorporating strengths, coping tools, and community resources.
Share personal recovery experiences to model self-directed recovery, effective coping, and respect for each individual’s journey.
Recognize signs and symptoms of mental illness and support participants with grounding strategies and positive self-talk; de-escalate environmental stressors and interpersonal conflicts.
Help participants build social skills, combat stigma, and practice self-advocacy through role-playing and modeling.
Collaborate with participants, Care Managers, and the treatment team to support person-centered recovery and treatment plans.
Enter timely, objective clinical progress notes in the agency’s EHR using the DAP format for Medicaid billing compliance.
Document person-centered strengths, needs, abilities, recovery goals, interventions, and progress toward goals in the treatment plan provided by the Care Manager.